3-D Printing Specialists
Overview
Introduction
Three-dimensional (3-D) printing is the manufacturing of a three-dimensional solid object from a computer-generated file. The object is manufactured by adding layer after layer of building material (e.g., rubber, plastic, metal, ceramic, glass, thermoplastic composites infused with carbon fibers and nanotubes, concrete, and even biomaterials) in precise geometric shapes until the product is finished. These raw materials are usually in the form of powders or wires that can be melted by a laser to form each layer of the product.
The fie...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Salaries for 3-D printing specialists depend on the employer, the size of the worker's department or organization, and the worker’s job title and level of experience.
Earnings for 3-D printing engineers ranged from $51,000 to $110,000 in December 2019, according to GlassDoor.com. They earned average salaries of $72,323.
Hourly pay for 3-D printing technicians was $16.19 in January...
Work Environment
The work environment for 3-D printing specialists varies by their job title and employer. For example, software designers spend most of their time at computer-aided design workstations in office settings, while technicians and engineers work in production areas, which can be noisy. The noise level of the average 3-D printer is around 50 decibels (or as loud as a normal conversation), according ...
Outlook
The demand for 3-D printing technology will increase in the future as a result of faster equipment speeds, new and enhanced materials, more public and business awareness of the benefits of the technology, advances in printing technology, and improvements in the quality of 3-D–manufactured products.
The information technology market research firm IT TechEx predicts that the additive manuf...
